Enhanced Cancer Treatment Eradicates Tumors Through Immunity Enhancement
Headline: New Approach to Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Shows Promise in Preclinical Studies
The University of California San Diego (UCSD) is at the forefront of a potential breakthrough in cancer treatment, as researchers have discovered a new approach to treating head and neck cancers. This innovative strategy involves precisely timing the delivery of radiation and immunotherapy.
In a recent study, published in Nature Communications, UCSD researchers led by Dr. Robert Saddawi-Konefka and Dr. Joseph Califano demonstrated that optimally timed combination of radiation therapy that protects tumor-draining lymph nodes followed by immunotherapy can induce complete and durable tumor responses. This finding provides a promising rationale for clinical trials combining radiation and immunotherapy to improve patient outcomes.
One such trial is currently ongoing at UCSD. A phase II clinical trial is actively studying pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy drug) given alone compared to the usual chemotherapy plus radiation after surgery for recurrent or second primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. This approach is part of ongoing research efforts to enhance treatment effectiveness by combining immunotherapy with radiation.
The success of this approach is linked to enhanced migration of activated CCR7+ dendritic cells into lymph nodes. These dendritic cells robustly stimulate tumor-fighting immune activity.
This new approach, if successful, could mark a potential breakthrough in cancer treatment, moving toward therapies that not only destroy tumors but also enlist the body's own defenses more effectively.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) causes approximately 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths annually worldwide. The study was supported in part by grants from the National Cancer Institute.
Other California institutions, including UC Irvine and UCSF, are also exploring combinations of radiation with chemotherapy agents like cisplatin, docetaxel, and cetuximab, and immunotherapy drugs like pembrolizumab or atezolizumab. However, some of these trials are not currently recruiting.
Ongoing clinical trials at UCSD and Providence Earl Chiles Cancer Center are testing this strategy in human patients. If the results are as promising as in preclinical studies, this new approach could revolutionize the treatment of head and neck cancers.
This research embodies a growing paradigm shift in oncology, leveraging the immune system as a powerful ally against cancer. The vital biological role of tumor-draining lymph nodes in cancer treatment is further highlighted by this study.
[1] Current status of clinical trials at UCSD for treating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with a combination of radiation and immunotherapy. [2] Trials at UC Irvine and UCSF testing combinations of radiation with chemotherapy agents and immunotherapy drugs. [3] [4] Additional information on ongoing trials at UC Irvine and UCSF. [5] UCSD preclinical studies showing complete and durable tumor responses with the combined approach.
- The University of California San Diego (UCSD) is leading a clinical trial combining immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab with radiation after surgery for recurrent or secondary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients, as part of efforts to enhance treatment effectiveness by integrating immunotherapy with radiation.
- The success of this UCSD-led strategy can be attributed to the enhanced migration of activated CCR7+ dendritic cells into lymph nodes, which stimulate the immune system to fight tumors more effectively.
- This study aims to revolutionize the treatment of head and neck cancers, offering promise for a potential breakthrough in cancer treatment by utilizing therapies that not only destroy tumors but also enlist the body's own defenses more efficiently.
